The St. Louis Cardinals will remain on a Diamond Sports Group regional sports network for next season and beyond.
Per the release, the Cardinals and Diamond have agreed to a multi-year deal that will see the franchise’s local games air on the freshly branded FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (formerly Bally Sports Midwest). The agreement includes both linear television and digital streaming rights for the franchise.
The Cardinals are now set to be the third MLB team that Diamond has continued its relationship with after dropping 11 of its 12 franchises last month as a result of ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. Diamond kept its original contract with the Atlanta Braves and recently renegotiated its deal with the Miami Marlins.
Diamond CEO David Preschlack stated in the announcement, “We are excited about deepening our relationship with the Cardinals and expanding our reach by delivering games to fans on a DTC basis. As we progress towards emergence from bankruptcy, we remain committed to providing fans in the Midwest region with high-quality broadcasts through our linear and digital offerings and meeting fans where they are in the evolving viewership model. We remain in discussions with our other MLB team partners on go-forward plans, and we are confident that our linear and digital framework drives maximum value.”
While three teams previously inked to Diamond Sports deals — the Cleveland Guardians, Milwaukee Brewers, and Minnesota Twins — have opted to cede their local distribution rights to MLB, others clearly see a renegotiated deal with Diamond, even at a diminished fee, as the best way forward.
Some of the reduction in rights fees could be supplemented by adding a direct-to-consumer streaming service. The price point for that has not yet been announced, but similar services are being priced at around $15 per month.
With this announcement, there are still a handful of teams in limbo for the 2025 season. The Los Angeles Angels are reportedly in talks to renegotiate with Diamond. The Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals are still without firm plans for 2025.
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